2019 Texas A&M Preview

I really thought at the end of last season Texas A&M was set to have a really good run this season even with losing several players due to graduuation including power hitter, Tori Vidales along with, star pitcher Trinity Harrington, Erica Russell, , Ashley Walters, Kristen Cuyos and Lexi Smith. I felt they still had a good core of returning players to build upon but that changed with the new transfer rules. The Aggies were hit extra hard with several starting players transferring out of their program including, clutch hitter Sarah Hudak, speedster Keeli Milligan, Kaitlyn Alderink (remains at Texas A&M as a student but left the softball program), pitching ace Samantha Show and pitcher Maddie McGrandle.

The team did manange to pick up two transfers for this years team including pitcher Kendall Potts (Baylor) and infielder Ashlynn Walls (UTSA) to help fill some of the gaps left by those departing players. Last years the Aggies went 44-18 overall and 13-11in the SEC. The team made it to the Super Regionals round in the playoffs where it looked like they were gonna beat fellow SEC powerhouse Florida and move on to the WCWS but it wasn’t meant to be losing an error filled game one of the three game series 5-4 before coming back in game two played under the lights at Florida’s Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium getting a 5-4 and even up their series at 1-1. It all came down to Saturday’s game and once again it looked like the Aggies would pull off the win and take out the #2 seed Florida but it wasn’t meant to be as they fell to the Gators by a score of 5-3 in walk-off fashion when down to their last strike In the bottom of the seventh the Gators with runners on first and second and Jordan Matthews at bat ended the game with a three-run homer to eliminate Texas A&M.

The one constant at Texas A&M has been head coach Jo Evans who is back again this season for her 23 year of coaching. Evans coaching skills will be tested this season with the young group of players she has to mold.

This year looks to be a down year for several SEC teams so the Aggies should be able to hold their own in the conference and make the playoffs again but after that things might get hard for them this year.